The Thonon Black Panthers (3-3-1) will head north to Paris Saturday, May 25 to face the Asnieres Molosses (3-1-3) in a crucial matchup in the French D1 Elite league.
The game has serious playoff implications for both teams. The defending champion Black Panthers find themselves in the unusual situation of battling for playoff positioning. Whoever wins this game finishes second in the conference standings and earns home field advantage in the wild card playoff round. The loser winds up third and will face the number two team in Conference B. The two teams tied 34-34 earlier in the season. The Black Panthers have nine points and the Molosses seven.
The Black Panthers season has not been ideal for them with a loss to the Flash 21-7 before a matchup with the Rouen Leopards which saw both teams walk away with 34 points on the board and a draw. They then played to another tie, this time against the Asnieres Molosses, 35-35 and 14-14 against the Flash in the second meeting between the two. Two of their wins have come against the Saint Ouen Cougars who they beat 42-0 and 46-0. The third came last week when they got by the Leopards 31-28 to secure a playoff spot.
This has been a roller coaster year for Asnieres. They dropped a 21-14 decision to La Courneuve to open the year but rebounded with a 26-18 win over Rouen and then downed the Cougars. They were slowed down by the Thonon Black Panthers tying them 35-35 but then lost two in a row, 21-19 to the Flash and 24-20 to the Rouen Leopards. Last week they unleashed the offense hammering the Cougars 62-0.
This game is a toss up although the Molosses will have a possible slight edge playing at home.